Barnes & Noble

Generally well received by critics and almost universally praised for the quality of its acting, The Upside of Anger certainly merits a larger audience on DVD than it drew in theaters, where it was a box office disappointment. Certainly Joan Allen is Oscar-worthy for her brilliant, impassioned performance as Terry Wolfmeyer, a middle-aged housewife and mother stung by the abrupt departure of her husband, presumed to have run off with his much younger secretary. With three daughters (Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, Evan Rachel Wood) still at home and one (Alicia Witt) in college, Terry shrugs off her responsibilities and drowns her sorrows in booze. Bitter, lonely, and more than a little desperate, she eventually turns to her neighbor and drinking buddy, Denny Davies (Kevin Costner), a former star pitcher reduced to doing a talk show on local radio. Denny’s no slouch at shrugging off responsibility himself, but his affection for Terry and her daughters makes a new man of him. Costner has taken quite a beating from critics over the last few years, and he’s been in more than his fair share of turkeys. But Upside gives him a multidimensional character in which to sink his teeth, and he devours it with gusto. Costner’s performance has “comeback” written all over it and deserves as much praise as Allen’s. Much of the credit for this belongs to writer-director Mike Binder (HBO's The Mind of the Married Man), whose tart dialogue and handling of emotionally complex situations invariably rings true. Remarkably forthright about loss, betrayal, and new beginnings, Upside also approaches sexuality with a maturity not often seen in Hollywood movies. The characters in this movie will strike you as real people, and it’ll be a rare viewer who doesn’t spot at least one character that resembles someone he or she knows. At various points tragic, comic, sublime, and ridiculous, The Upside of Anger is very much like life itself. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Two friends wonder if there might be more between them when their lives both take a left turn in this romantic comedy. Terry (Joan Allen) is a middle-aged housewife and mother of four teenaged daughters and gets the shock of her life when her husband, without a word of warning, leaves them behind, presumably to move to Sweden with his secretary. Going through a bender of depression and alcohol, Terry finds herself commiserating with Denny (Kevin Costner), a former baseball star turned unenthusiastic radio personality who was her husband's colleague and friend and an occasional presence at the house. With both Terry and Denny feeling down in the dumps about recent events in their lives, the two find themselves drawn to one another, and while Terry fights the notion of a new romance, her daughters -- Andy (Erika Christensen), Hadley (Alicia Witt), Emily (Keri Russell), and Lavender (Evan Rachel Wood) -- each have different ideas about their futures. The Upside of Anger was written and directed by Mike Binder, who also plays a supporting role as the producer of Denny's radio show. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 794043825927
• Source: NEW LINE HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:57:00
• Sales Rank: 4,153

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Kevin Costner Collection: 4 Film Favorites

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